Chick developing and poultry cage



Feb. 13, 1945. R. H. scoTT CHICK DEVELOPING AND POULTRY CAGE Filed Jan. l2, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y zmmmdmmmmmm .S qm DEDDUUEUU .m6 om www Feb. 13, 1945. R. H. scoTT 2,359,316

CHICK DEVELOPING AND POULTRY CAGE Filed Jan. l2, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 13, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE assaut c nlcx DEVELOPING AND PoULrnY CAGE amm-a n. scott, Mamans, N. Y. applicants January iz, 1942, ser-n1 Ns. 42am s emma (ci. 11s- 11) This invention relates to improvements in chick developing and poultry cages. l

The invention is more particularly concerned with improved mechanism in operative association with chick developing andpoultry cages for simultaneously and automatically cleaning same and delivering feed thereto.

It is well understood by persons engaged in handling poultry, and particularly in the developing of young chicks, that it is highly essential that the cages be repeatedly cleaned, that is, the droppings received and transported therefrom, in order to avoid many fatal diseases to which young chicks are readily subject.

It is further understood that it is necessary to supply feed to thefcages several times each day for the proper growth and development of the chicks.

These operations have in the past usually been manually performed and thus required considerable time to carry them out, thereby adding materially to the labor cost of developing the chicks and, of course, correspondingly reducing the profit realized in the enterprise.

While it is appreciated that various structures have heretofore been proposed for automatically cleaning poultry cages and delivering feed thereto, nevertheless they were either of such complicated construction or failed to carry out the operations with such degree of satisfaction as to warrant their adoption as a replacement of the common manually performed operations.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of mechanism operatively associated with poultry cages for automatically supplying feed to and receiving and transporting droppings from the cages in a single operative cycle of the mechanism, thereby requiring a minimum of time on the part of the operator.

A further object of the invention is the provision of improved mechanism operatively associated with superposed batteries of poultry cages including means power driven from one end to the other of the batteries of cages and simultaneously supplying feed to and receiving and transporting droppings from the cages.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of mechanism of the above noted char-- acter which is relatively simple in construction, durable, and effective to carry out operations simultaneously, eiiiciently, and in a minimum interval of time.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference will be had to the following detailed description. taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved mechanism constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the batteries oi' cages being omitted for greater clarity in disclosure. v

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the structure of Fig. 1 with the superposed batteries of cages in operative position. l

Fig. 3 is a right-hand end elevational view of the structure illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 with the battery cages omitted for greater clarity in disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line l--4 of Fig. 3 and a portion of the frame, particularly showing the automatic control for the delivery of feed from the hopper into the delivery chutes.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the letter C designates superposed poultry cages or batteries of cages which are supported by and within a frame i0.

'I'he frame may be of wood or metal and, while being capable of considerable modication, it preferably comprises three vertically spaced rectangular frame portions, each including longitudinal side rails l I, and opposite end rails I2. The three frame portions are held in parallel and vertically spaced relation by means of corner uprights I! connected to the frame portions and interconnected at their upper ends by transverse bars I4.

A transverse shaft l5 is rotatably supported in bearings I6 disposed on the longitudinal rails Il of the upper frame portion. A relatively large pulley l1 is fixed to shaft l5 adjacent one ofthe bearings i6 and is operatively engaged by a belt i0 which engages a smaller pulley I9 on the armature shaft of an electric motor 2l suitably supported on a base 2| having its opposite ends resting on the side rails Il.

A pair of relatively long pulleys 22 and 23 are secured for rotation with the shaft l5 adjacent the opposite bearing I8, the pulley 22 being engaged by a belt 24 and the pulley 23 being engaged by a belt 25.

The belt 24 is selectively engageable with a pulley 26 rotatable on a shaft 21 adjacent one end of the frame and a pulley 28 xed for rotation with the shaft.

. The belt 25 is selectively engageable with a pulley 29 rotatable on a shaft 30 at the opposite y tions upon engagement of the spring and each slide side rails." of the upper frame portion.

While the center-shaft I will always rotate in the same direction. it is to be noted that belt 25 is crossed intermediate shafts l5 and 39 whereby shafts 21 and 39 will rotate in opposite directhe respective belts 24 and 25 with the fixed pulleys 28 and 3|, respectively. x

'I'he belts 24 and 25 are normally urged into driving engagement with the respective free pulleys 28 and 29 by the following means. v

A guide plate 34 is disposed transversely of the upper frame portion adjacent each end thereofand is suitably secured to the side rails II. A

slide 35 is retained in a slide-way of the guide plate by means of straps 38 secured to the guide plate. Each slide is provided with a belt-retaining and shifting yoke 31 and each slide is yieldably moved toward one end of the guide plate by means of a coil spring 38 having one end thereof l connected to the slide and the other end thereof connected to the frame, thereby normally moving the constantly driven belts 24 and 25 into engagement with the free or non-shaft rotating pulleys 28 and 29. v

Each slide 35 is provided with a suitable handle 39 for moving same in opposition to the effort of is further provided with a lug 49' having a pin 4| in the free end thereof for engagement by a latch 42 whe'n the slide is moved to bring the respective belt 24 or 25 into dri'ilng relation with the shaft-fixed pulley 28 0r The latches 42 are pivoted to the frame at 43 and have projecting caml ends 44 for a purpose later described.

The shaft 21 at one side of the frame portion is provided with a relatively small pulley 45 which is operatively connected by meansof a belt 48 to a relatively large pulley 41 fixed to a shaft 48 directly beneath shaft 21 and supported in suitable bearings of the side rails il of the portion.

The shaft 39 is likewise provided with a relatively small pulley 49 at the opposite side of the frame and which is operatively connected by means of a `belt 59 to al relatively large pulley 5| fixed to a shaft 52 -directly beneath the shaft 39 and which'is rotatably supported in suitable bearings on the lower faces of the side rails I l of the intermediate frame portion.

With this construction it will be noted that shafts 48 and 52' are driven at a substantially reduced speed to that of the respective'shafts 21 and 39.

The lower frame portion also is provided with shafts 53 and 54 which are rotatably supported in suitable bearings secured to the lower faces of the side rails l I of the lower frame portion and beon the lower faces intermediate frame ing disposed below and in substantially vertical alinement'with the respective shafts 21, 48 and 39, 52.

The shafts 48 and 53 are operatively connected for uni-speed rotation by a belt 55 engageable.

with pulleys 58 on the shafts and the shafts 52, 54 are likewise operatively connected for unispeed rotation by a belt 51 engageable with pulleys 53 on the shafts.

From the above description it will be observed that shafts 48 and 52 are disposed immediately below the bottoms of the upper cage or cages and which is rotatably 54 are disposed immediately below the' lower cage'or cages. Furtherthat shafts 53, the bottoms of more, it is to be notedthat .shafts 48 and 53 rotate in the samefdirection as shaft 21. and that 8 shafts 52 and 54 rotate oppositely or in the direction of rotation oiv shaft 39.

A feed hopper so is disposent each side of the frame I9 with the hoppers always in transverse alinement.' Each hopper is provided with a median flange 8| to whichare secured pairs of rollers 82 engageable within a traclr83 secured to a longitudinal bar 84 which in turn is secured to the frame bars I4.

The hoppers are jointly vmovable alternately for delivering feed into longitudinal troughs 85 secured to the frame adjacent the opposite sides of the cages.

`chutes 86, 81, the former cooperating with the upper troughs and the latter cooperating with the lower troughs. v v

' 'I'he hoppers 80 are each moved longitudinally of the frameby means of bands 88 and 89, ad-

jacent ends of which are secured to opposite ends of the hopper and the other ends of which are secured to pulleys 19 on opposite ends of the shafts 48 and 52, the bands alternately rolling on and unrolling from the pulleys on each shaft in correspondence with movement of the hoppers 30 from end to end of .the'frama` v v I The shafts 48, 52 and' 58. 54 each support a transverse drum'1| 4 about which pass endless belts or to which are secured the opposite ends of a band, 12 for alternate winding upon and unwinding from the opposed drumsY below each cage upon alternate rotation of the shafts in opposite directions. The bands 12 (or endless belts, if desired) are of a width at least equal to that of the cages and are disposed immediately belowthe 4o wire mesh bottoms thereof to collect droppings from the' cages.

A laterally disposed scraper 14 is pivotally supported at 15 adjacent one edge thereof and has the free edge thereof yieldably retained in lengagement with the band or belt by means oi springs 18 for removing droppings from the'ba'nd or belt upon travel thereof in either direction as occasioned by rotation of the shafts 48, 53 or 52, 54 at opposite ends of theframe. l

Due to the fact that the hoppers 69 travel a less distance than the :droppings-collecting bands or belts there is suilicient slackness in the bands 68 and 69 to overcome'such difference in distance of travel.

The hoppers 89 are shown in Fiss. 1 and 2 at one end of travel thereof, and in order to control the ilow of feed from the hoppers to the troughs 85 to prevent flow of feed when the hoppers are at-rest at one end or the other of the frame and permit flow l of the feed upon initiation of 'movement of the hoppers, suitable valve means are provided and are shown in deend connected with \the hopper.

A vlug 8 4 projects from the frame adjacent 15 each corner thereof and each lug is positioned from one end of the frame or cages to the otherl The hoppers are' provided with I inthe path of movement of the adjacent ends of the respective slide bars 8|.

The slide bars 8i normally project voutward of the hopper a distance equal to the spacing between the apertures or the width of the aper tures whereby the apertures 88, 82 will be misalined upon movement of the hoppers into en gagement with either end pair of lugs 84, with the result that the flow of feed into the chutes will be instantly checked upon the hoppers and 53 will accordingly be positively rotated counter-clockwise, and the bands or belts 12 will be moved to the left, whereupon the scrapers 14 will remove the droppings for falling into a suitable receptacle while clean surfaces of the bands or belts will be'positioned beneath the batteries of the superposed cages C.

Simultaneously with this cleaning action the hoppers 60 will be pulled by bands 88 to the left end of the frame and feed will be automatically delivered to the troughs 55 adjacent the opposite sides of the cages C.

Upon reaching the left end of the frame, one of the hoppers will engage the cam end 44 of the corresponding latch 42 and swing it out of locking engagement with pin 4I, as indicated at the right of Fig. l. whereby belt 24'wil1 be moved into driving engagement with loose pulley 2E with a resulting 'arrest of the rotation of shafts 21, 48 and 53. At the same time, the leading ends of slide bars 8i will engage lug 84 with a resulting misalignment of the apertures 80, 82 and checking of the flow of feed into the chutes 8B and 81. A

For the succeeding feeding and cleaning operation, the right hand slide 35 will be drawn forwardly by handle 39 and latch 42 engaged wit* pin 4l for holding belt 25 in driving engagement with the pulley 3l to initiate rotation of shafts 30. 52. and 54 in clockwise direction, whereupon slide bars 8i will move to neutral position upon movement of the hoppers away.

from lugs 84 with a consequent alinement of feed .apertures 80, 82, and the hoppers will be moved to the right hand end of the frame, disited in the length of the cages or batteries thereof and may be of any dimensions desired.

While I have disclosed but a single specific embodiment of my invention, such is to be considered as illustrative only 'and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the subjoined claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for automatically and simultaneously delivering feed to a poultry cage and receiving droppings therefrom, comprising-'a frame receiving a cage therewithin, a feed trough extending lengthwise of the frame at one side thereof, a feed hopper for delivering feed to the trough and supported for alternate movement from one end of the frame to the other, a droppings collecting band supported beneath the cage for successive movement in directions towards opposite ends of the frame to expose a different surface area in each movement thereof, means for removing droppings from the band upon movement thereof, and Apower-actuated means for simultaneously moving the hopper and band lengthwise of the frame. v

2. Apparatus for automatically and simultaneously delivering feed to a poultry cage and'receiving droppings therefrom, comprising a frame receiving a poultry cage therewithin, a feed-re ceiving vtrough supported by and extending longitudinally of each side of the frame, a ifeed-delivering hopper supported by the frame at each side thereof for movements lengthwise of the frame and alternately towards opposite ends thereof for admitting feed to the troughs, a droppings collecting band substantially of the width of `the cage supported beneath same and having its opposite ends connected to rotatable dlrums for movement of the band alternately toward opposite ends of the iframe to present successive surface areas thereof beneath the cage, -means for tributing feed into the troughs 65, and 4upon 4 reaching the right hand end of the correspond` ing latch 42 will be tripped and belt 25 shifted to the idler pulley 29. At the same time, the adjoining ends of bars 8l will engage the corresponding lugs 84 and arrest the flow of feed into the chutes 65, 81. Furthermore, the bands or belts 12 will be moved to position clean surfaces beneath the cages with the scrapers 14 at the right hand end removing the droppings from the surfaces previously disposed beneath the cages. The motor 20 is, of course, provided with a conveniently accessible switch for turning same on and off.

Y While I have shown but two layers of cages it is apparent that three or more may be used. in which instance additional shafts corresponding to shafts -41, 53, 52, 54 would be provided and the hoppers provided with additiona1 feed chutes. Furthermore, the structure is not limremoving droppings from the band upon each altornate movement thereof, and power-actuated means for simultaneously moving the hoppers and band longitudinallyl of the frame.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, together with automatically operable means cooperable with the hoppers and frame for suspending delivery of feed from the hoppers into the troughs at the limit of travel of the hoppers towards opposite ends of the frame.

4. Apparatus for automatically and simultaneously delivering feed to poultry cages and removing droppings therefrom, comprising a :frame enclosing cages, a feed receiving trough supported by said frame longitudinally of each side thereof, a feed delivery hopper supported by the frame at each side thereof, for movement lengthwise of the troughs and alternately towards opposite ends thereof, a droppings collecting band substantially of the width of the cages supported beneath same and having its opposite ends connected to rotatable drums journalled in the opposite ends of the frame, the drums being alternately movable in different directions to present successive surface areas of the band beneath the cages, a pivoted scraper yieldably urged toward each drum and engaging the band upon rotation of the drums to remove droppings from the band, and power actuated means for simultaneously moving the hoppers and band longitudinally of the frame.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said power actuated means comprises a shaft at each end of the frame, a motor driven uni-directional shaft intermediate said iirst shafts. belt and clutch means between said last shaft and said irst shatts for alternately rotating 'said first shafts in opposite directions. means connected with said first shafts for moving .said hoppers,` and said drums being rotated by said first shafts.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4. together with a second droppin collecting band beneath the i'irst band and other cases therebetween and having its ends secured to drums operatively con. nected with the met drums for rotation there- RICHARD H, 'scorn lwith. 

